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I know Colo is less popular these days with the Cloud, but I thought I'd ask people what tools and extra parts, etc they like to keep in their Colo cages or racks.

Here are some of my favorites:

zipties, velcro tape, square rack nut tool, first aid kit, spare ethernet and fiber, labeler and spare labeler tape, duct tape, gaffer's tape, multi-tool, drill/charger/spare battery, trashcan/bags, step ladder, camp chair, ear plugs, speakers/headphones, USB-Serial dongle, multi-meter, extension cords, packing tape and supplies.

I bet a bunch of you have favorite things you like to have on hand in the data center.

Recommendations?

Joel K
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1 Answers1

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OK, several of your items are definitely must haves. The following items worry me... if you need these in your colo, someone's not doing it right: duct tape, gaffer's tape, drill. Hopefully you're not drilling holes in stuff and holding things together with duct tape. Also, are you really going to package RMA items and such right in the colo and ship them from there as opposed to taking them back to your office?

Here's a partial list from me and is dependent on what kind of equipment you're working with:

backup tape labels

screw drivers: long and short handled - flat blade and phillips

spare NIC

full keyboard

mouse

flat screen monitor

spare power cables

spare nuts\screws

mini socket and wrench set

flash light

USB CD\DVD drive\burner

USB floppy drive

Contact information for important employees\vendors

joeqwerty
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  • Nice additions! The drill is with a #2 screwdriver attachment. I use it for rack screws. (much faster than by hand) I use the tape mainly for airflow hacks. I've found gaffer's tape doesn't decompose as fast as duct tape. ex hacks: Covering a PCI hole that changes airflow. Some colo makes it easier to ship out than take out the door. (esp if your office is across the country) – Joel K Nov 16 '10 at 22:47
  • Gotcha. Now I can sleep soundly knowing that you're not drilling air holes in the front panel of your servers. ;) – joeqwerty Nov 16 '10 at 23:01